A 23-year-old Illinois man faces decades in prison after police allegedly discovered about 7 ounces of methamphetamine in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop during the early morning hours of Feb. 1. The West Chicago resident has been charged with possessing between 100 and 400 grams of the drug with the intent to deliver. This is a class X felony under Illinois law and carries a maximum custodial sentence of 40 years.
According to an Aurora Police Department report, the man’s car was pulled over at about 12:58 p.m. on Galena Boulevard near Fourth Street for having an obstructed license plate. A records check is then said to have revealed that both the man behind the wheel and his male passenger had open warrants. The vehicle was searched after the two men had been taken into custody.
The drugs were allegedly found in a bag on the vehicle’s back seat. An APD representative said that the seized drugs would have fetched about $22,000 if they had been sold on the street. Reports indicate that the man is being held at the Kane County Jail on a bond of $100,000 and is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 8.
Experienced criminal defense attorneys may seek to settle cases with a negotiated plea agreement when the evidence against their clients seems compelling. Prosecutors are judged based on their results, and they may be willing to reduce drug charges and penalties to avoid the risks of a jury trial even when a conviction seems likely.
Source: The Daily Herald, Police: West Chicago man caught with nearly half a pound of meth in Aurora, Harry Hitzeman, Feb. 5, 2019Source: The Chicago Tribune, Man accused of having half-pound of methamphetamine in Aurora, Megan Jones, Feb. 6, 2019
